South Carolina State University President Thomas Elzey has said he will not resign.
Following a three-hour, closed-door meeting, Chairman William Small said the board will respect its contract with Elzey.
“Just as President Elzey inherited many of the current problems of the university, the present board also inherited these problems,” Small read from a two-page statement. Legislators have replaced most of the board since 2013, when Elzey was hired.
It’s been a tumultuous week for the state’s only public historically Black university. The board convened the “emergency meeting” after leaders of the Legislative Black Caucus called on Elzey Wednesday to resign or be fired by the legislatively-elected board. Elzey refused. That no-confidence vote came on the heels of a House panel proposing to temporarily close S.C. State for a massive overhaul, with the intent to reopen a financially stable university in 2017.
Though two House panels advanced the proposal this week, senators have made it clear such a radical move stands no chance in their chamber. Senate Democrats put out a statement calling the idea “reckless and irresponsible.” Still, the stunner reflects legislators’ growing frustration over perceived ever-changing budget numbers and the lack of a concrete plan toward solvency.
Elzey said the school can’t simply cut, because that would cause other problems, including fines and programs’ loss of accreditation.
The university still owes at least $10 million on unpaid bills that date to 2013, despite a $6 million state bailout approved last spring and the first installment from a second bailout approved in December, which will eventually provide $12 million over three years.
